As others stand at attention for anthem, Trump fidgets, points, pretend-conducts the band

[Arkansas Granny]

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said all Americans should “stand proudly” during the national anthem, and publicly chastises those who don’t as disrespectful of the troops.

But during the national anthem at his own Super Bowl watch party Sunday night, a brief video posted to Instagram shows Trump greeting guests, adjusting his chair, and straightening his suit jacket as other attendees — including first lady Melania Trump and their teenage son — stand with their hands over their hearts. As “The Star Spangled Banner” crescendoes, Trump raises both of his hands in the air, and twirls them around as if conducting the music.

The video was included in an Instagram story by a real estate agent for a Russian-American firm who frequents Mar-a-Lago and other Trump properties and events.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article239913588.html

Video at link.

[louis-t]

1. Ahem, campaign ad, ahem.

[fierywoman]

28. +1000000

[Richard D]

2. Anyone who has seen senile dementia ...

. . . would recognize that behavior.

[leftieNanner]

3. It is not a requirement to put one's hand over one's heart

BUT, it is required to stand respectfully - which he did not. He was mocking the national anthem! Asshole.

[onenote]

24. there is no enforceable requirement to do anything. But the codified etiquette is to put hand

over heart:

36 USC 301 - National Anthem

(b)Conduct During Playing.—During a rendition of the national anthem—
(1)when the flag is displayed—
(A)individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
(B)members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
(C)all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
(2)when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.

[leftieNanner]

29. You are correct

My bad.

[Caliman73]

31. The point is that he uses the supposed "reverence" to the Anthem as a cudgel.

Then he acts like the buffoon he is during the Anthem. Normally the person would be chastised as a hypocrite and an idiot, but this is Trump and Trump gets to act like a complete ass while criticizing people for doing way less than he does.

Trump would have been the first one to be foaming at the mouth if President Obama did not solemnly stand there with hand on heart, with a patriotic tear in his eye.

[leftieNanner]

35. There is something seriously medically wrong with him

Nobody does that!

Perhaps he "thought" because he was in his own place, that nobody would notice his behavior or film it.

Wrong!

[Caliman73]

39. There is a pretty high probability.

We would need to see if it has been a pattern of behavior in the past, or a recent development. He has shown a lot of signs indicative of cognitive decline. He could also be having stress reactions. There was a condition (in the DSM-IV-TR) called Brief Reactive Psychosis, now I think renamed Brief Psychotic Disorder.

He has a whole bunch of odd behaviors that have kept a lot of mental health professionals and neurologists busy.

[Shrike47]

4. My, Barron is quite a lot taller than he is.

[llmart]

5. What a fucking moron.

Has to be the center of attention all the time. Even his son is more mature than he is.

[Maru Kitteh]

8. Has to be the center of attention all the time. Even his son is more mature than he is.

Bingo.

[bdamomma]

19. I don't know

Baron wants to be like Daddy.

[Raven]

6. This guy is going to get us all killed!

[musette_sf]

7. what an oaf n/t

[DEbluedude]

9. What would've happened had Obama done this?

Any guesses?

[Caliman73]

34. See my post 31.

First, President Obama would never act like an idiot like Trump.

He was however, roundly criticized at one point for not having his hand over his heart during an Anthem. Republicans were ALWAYS trying to catch President Obama without a flag pin on his lapel or not quite showing enough patriotism. Remember when President Obama saluted the Marine with the Starbucks cup in his hand? OMG!!! that was a national disgrace!!

Point is, Trump is an idiot, and acts like an idiot. Republicans will barely say anything, but if President Obama or anyone else does something infinitely less offensive, it is an utter disgrace!

[Zolorp]

10. Where is the MAGAt outrage?

Oh yeah, it's okay if their God Emperor disrespects the flag, but heaven forbid a black man respectfully takes a knee.

[jg10003]

11. at least he wasn't kneeling silently.

[Kingofalldems]

12. And Melanie has her hand over the wrong side.

Is that some sort of Satanist signal?

[onenote]

22. The image is reversed.

For example, Trump's flag pin, always on his left lapel, appears on his right lapel.

[Maraya1969]

13. It only took the stupid page 5 minutes to fucking load. I'd like to share

this but I'm not linking to that website.

[somaticexperiencing]

14. What a clown!

[handmade34]

36. "elect a clown, expect a circus"

[Dennis Donovan]

15. Miami Herald has a paywall - here's the video for those who haven't seen it

Link to tweet

Um, I think the President is broken.

[RussBLib]

18. "conducting" like he is ridiculing the tune

Reminds me so much of my rightwingnut father.

So sad not on GOP Senator has any guts or courage whatsoever.

[displacedtexan]

20. I've never seen anyone hold the left hand over the heart.

Is it common or just a Trump family thing? Or a left handed thing? With Trump flailing around, I had to look at others around him, and I noticed the hand thing.

[mercuryblues]

21. i think it was filmed in a mirror

[onenote]

23. Yes. The image is reversed.

[JHB]

33. And for those who don't do Twitter...

[crickets]

16. Once more with feeling: the man is ill.

A normal adult, no matter how full of himself, would know how to stand still for this moment. I am in support of those who choose to kneel, and I think the hand over heart controversy is silly. I am not big on nationalism in general.

I find his behavior stunning.

When a grown man serving in a high political office cannot stand still for the anthem of his own country, when a grown man (presumably sober) proceeds to play class clown with all the flourish of a third grader, something is deeply wrong.

[Backseat Driver]

26. Agree emphatically - something is wrong upstairs!

[bdamomma]

17. He's nothing

but a HOAX himself. He can go to hell.

He hates the United States, he can take that Flag pin off and stick himself with it.

Go ahead bring it on, you bully you.

[kacekwl]

27. Somehow that's better than kneeling.

What a dick.

[Catherine Vincent]

30. He's not on broadcast tv so his fans don't care. nt

[nolabear]

32. Good God. The man is an idiot.

An entitled, narcissistic, blowhard of a monster of an idiot.

[leftieNanner]

37. Likely with mental health or drug abuse issues

That's not normal for any adult to behave that way.

[handmade34]

38. more everyday...

I believe he has dementia... my father did and I watched to progression... very similar

[cwydro]

40. He looks high as a kite.

What an embarrassment.

[Kid Berwyn]

41. What a jerk.

King of Hypocrisy.